1. Field of Invention
The current invention relates generally to apparatus, systems and methods for receiving wireless data. More particularly, the apparatus, systems and methods relate to receiving VHF and UHF signals. Specifically, the apparatus, systems and methods provide for receiving video data with a planar bowtie-shaped dipole antenna.
2. Description of Related Art
There are numerous types and installation options of television (TV) antennas today. Outdoor TV antennas, once designed and installed properly, can provide good reception. However, high cost, large size, and installation difficulties do not make them an attractive solution.
Indoor TV antennas are more popular than outdoor antennas due to low cost and ease of installation. However, their performance is significantly less than that of the outdoor antennas. Indoor antennas are often placed near televisions and furniture and reception is affected due to signal blockage from metallic and non-metallic objects nearby and interfering electronic equipment or appliances. In addition, indoor antennas, due to their compact size, are not well-matched along the required frequency bandwidth.
Some indoor TV antennas can be mounted on a wall. In this case, the performance may be affected due to the proximity of metal behind the antenna and due to the blockage of nearby objects. One of the best locations to mount a TV antenna is at a window. A window location is often as close to an outside location as possible without installing the antenna outside, therefore, the performance of the antenna is often very good when installed at a window.
Recently, miniature analog and digital TV receivers have been developed. For example, TV sticks that plug into a computer's USB port are portable low profile antennas that are often not very efficient. This is because manufacturers of these miniature TV receivers use small stick type antennas that have very poor efficiency which results in a poor reception.
There is an additional need for a low-profile efficient antenna for mobile applications. A flat window-mount TV antenna can be used in mobile applications such as car, vans, trucks, boats, etc. However, most current indoor TV antennas are not designed for use in mobile applications. They are bulky and are not easily installed in a vehicle.
Current compact antennas include indoor antennas such as dipole type (“rabbit ears”) and other antennas mounted on a wall or on top of existing antennas and furniture. These types of antennas are naturally low-gain antennas and they are generally ineffective for fringe areas. In the case of rabbit ears, in order to receive a low-frequency signal, the dipoles must be extended to their maximum length. This may result in a poor reception of high-frequency signals. In addition, the antenna no longer looks aesthetically pleasing. Other available types of compact antennas are generally not well-matched due to their small size. Therefore, there exists a need for a better TV antenna.